the Tuesday Song of the Week

 

'Dance, Ballerina, Dance' - Buddy Clark

Buddy Clark was one of a generation of Big Band crooners, and although he was as popular as any of them, he was poised to really take over in 1949 at age 37.  Sadly, he died that year in a plane crash.  You should check out more of his songs, and a few videos on YouTube.

Now onto our little ballerina.  She's a Florence Ceramics item, named 'Marcella.' 

Loverly

Lisner!

Have you ever seen anything so mahvelous??

Have you?

Also Lisner, also divine

and eye-poppingly sparkly!

The above has sold already, but there's OODLES more awesome in the shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/Bijoux4Youx

This is nuts

peanuts, actually.

Around 1970, Planter's was offering these AWESOME pants to anyone with a

few labels and/or a few bucks.

true fact: peanuts aren't nuts, they're legumes.

Like beans and stuff.

I've found these selling on eBay at RIDICULOUS prices (like, around $100 and up), but you can get a pair from me for a piddling 65 bucks plus shipping.

www.etsy.com/shop/friskyvintage

the Tuesday Song of the Week

If you don't want to bop to this even a little bit, it's probably because you're legally dead.

'Reet Petite' - Jackie Wilson

Nurse!

Hoo, boy... you need a nurse?

material considerations

VIntage yardage!

They're animals

1960s Mad Men era vintage 

ballet dancers and ballet stuff and so forth

latest vintage clothing

Buy vintage clothing!

Look GOOD.

Save money.

Dig:

 floral 'n frilly cotton print dressing gown

or bathrobe.

 dressing gown sounds so much less frumpy.

PRETTY dress in Hawaiian fabric

 Not a muu muu.  A pretty dress.

classy gold evening wear circa 1969

 This has its original price tag - a big $52.99

I was buying new department store dresses for less than that in the 1980s. 

 dig this if you possibly can!

MAHVELOUS lace bellbottoms!

speaking of lace...

lace up your waist!

In addition to clothes, we have TWO 1960s ladies who lunch handbags:

Bienen Davis double-sided bag

patent leather 'bag by Dorian.'

All of the above for purchase -- and also for buying -- in my Etsy shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/friskyvintage

the Tuesday Song of the Week

This week's entry is just fabulous.

Really.

'Fabulous' - Charlie Gracie

Charlie is a City of Bothersome Love local, and was on his way to a fabulous career, until he butted heads with 'the world's oldest teenager' (you know who) who was pocketing money actually owed to Charlie.  True fact: if you appeared on the world's oldest teenager's show, you would be expected to return to him whatever you were paid to appear.  This didn't sit right with Charlie's father, and so they went after the world's oldest scumbag -- oops, sorry -- teenager to get Charlie's money.  That he got.  He also got effectively blacklisted, and because the world's oldest insanely greedy scumbag -- oops, sorry again - I meant teenager...  Anyway, because of the clout he had, Charlie didn't have the career he should have had.

Amazingly, the guy is not bitter (or he doesn't let it show).  What's even more amazing is that he's been able to work as a musician his entire life -- was and is still big in Europe and Japan, PLUS Paul McCartney claims Charlie as one of his early inspirations.  I've met Charlie several times, and he's just the nicest, humblest person you could possibly encounter.   

book report

Amma adding a new and breathlessly exciting thingie to this blog, to wit

book reports!

First up, 

My Gentle Barn by Ellie Laks

Prior to leaving for my trip to North Carolina, I went to the local Barnes & Noble to look for reading material.  (Most of my books I get at thrift stores, but I love me some Barnes & Noble now and then.)  

I also looooove books about animals and animal welfare, as long as it's not too heavy on descriptions of cruelty, because that makes me sob, and when I'm done sobbing, I always get a throbbing headache. 

Anyway, My Gentle Barn:  I looked this over and first decided against it.  (Why I don't quite remember, because this kind of stuff is right up my alley.)  Then after wandering B&N for over an hour - which is a short amount of time for me -- something told me 'You gonna wanna read that.'  So I went looking for it again, and bought it, along with A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True, which I haven't picked up since I got back from NC, and one other book, the title of which escapes me at the moment.

Ellie Laks, the author of My Gentle Barn, also the founder of the farm animal sanctuary by that name, grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home where she was the odd one out, an after-thought in a family that valued its sons more highly.  Like a lot of kids who have low status in the family and/or who are living in a chaotic environment, her heart was animals.  There are several heart-breaking instances recounted on how indifferent her parents were to animals.  

"They're only animals."  (A day is coming where we'll never hear that again, I pray.)

Fortunately for the approximately 170 cows, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, and other residents of the Gentle Barn, Ms. Laks was able to turn her heart-break into action, against what I would call considerable odds, one of which included overcoming a crack addiction.

What's most interesting in the book is how everything comes together for her and her work, no matter how insurmountable the barriers seem, time and time again.  

The story of the Gentle Barn proves, I believe, that God DOES love his animals and is more than willing to help those who share that love bring blessing to the the lives of these innocent, beautiful creatures.   

latest advertising ashtrays

It's been quite some time since I found any new old advertising ashtrays, but I got FIVE at a flea market last week, and one a few days before that.

So...

I really like this one.

They put some thought into the design.

D. H. DeNardo & Co. Jewelers - Braddock, PA *

Less design thought put into this one,

but lots of info.

LMS TV Service 

This one's from Philadelphia.  The locals must have had a lot of TV problems, judging by how many ashtrays I have from Philly-area TV fixers.

Another TV guy!

 

Paul Shiffer

 E-town??  I'm guessing that's Elizabethtown.

The late and lamented Russian Tea Room

And now, TWO from Iowa

B & W Mobile Homes, Des Moines

Oscar Thompson's Mallard Motel

Here's what I'm wondering: You're moving from Iowa to the City of Bothersome Love for work or school, or just to partake in the wonderful junk food (Philly IS the junkfood capital of the world: cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, butter cake, and more pizza places than anywhere else on the globe.  True fact.). So while you're packing up, what would possess you to bring TWO ashtrays with you?  Or any ashtrays?  If you're driving, your car has an ashtray.  If you're flying... well, back in the day you could smoke on planes.  And if you took a train, there was likely to be a smoking car.  Strange...

*I thought typing the name in -- even though you can read what's on the ashtray -- would drive some more peeps here to experience the joy and wonderment of The Full-Service Bohemian.

DIVINE 1930s shoes

Well, these are just so amazing and awesome...

 suede, mesh, RHINESTONES

As if that wasn't perfectly marvelous enough, 

these are a SIZE 9wide-ish

and actually fit my ginormous feet

They've sold, but I think you'd like to see them anyway.

Tammis Keefe is in the house!

With what must be one of her most unique designs...

Those Balinese dancers are printed with a gold ink that

 feels like it was painted onto the hankie.

pick up a penguin

or four.

On these circa 1960 bar glasses are not displayed your average penguins.

These are sports impresario penguins!

Tennis and bowling

Boxing and golf.

Excellent for the man cave, the penguin collection and/or the collection of Mad Men era or Mid-Century Modern barware. 

Want more penguin content?

This is a candy commercial that was running when I was in the UK for three months a hundred years ago:

Let there be ...

exquisite circa 1905 bisque candelabras with pretty ladies.

Wouldn't Pa be mad?

Circa 1900 German-made souvenir shot cup - shot class.

the biggest, the beautifulest

circa 1960 rhinestone brooch.

How big?

More than 3" width width-wise, and more than 2" the other wise.

That's BIG.

And hugely perfect for wearing for that Audrey Hepburn-style little black dress.